Genesis 23:1-20
Field for a Burial Place
1Now Sarah lived to be 127 years old.
2She died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went out to mourn and to weep for her.
3Then Abraham got up from beside his dead wife and said to the Hittites,
4“I am a foreigner and an outsider among you. Give me a burial site among you so that I can bury my dead.”
5The Hittites replied to Abraham,
6“Listen to us, sir. You are God’s chosen one among us. Bury your dead in the finest of our tombs. None of us will withhold his tomb for burying your dead.”
7Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
8“If you are willing for me to bury my dead,” he said to them, “listen to me, and approach Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf
9to sell me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him; it is at the end of his field. Let him sell it to me in your presence for full price, so that I may have a burial site.”
10Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,
11“No, my lord. Listen to me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead.”
12Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land
13and said to Ephron in their presence, “If you will please listen to me, I will pay you the price of the field. Accept it from me, so that I may bury my dead there.”
14Ephron answered Abraham,
15“Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
16Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.
17So Ephron’s field at Machpelah near Mamre, the cave that was in it, and all the trees within the boundaries of the field were deeded over
18to Abraham’s possession in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city.
19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field at Machpelah near Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
20So the field and its cave were deeded by the Hittites to Abraham as a burial site.
Berean Standard Bible
Sarah lives one hundred twenty-seven years and dies at Kiriath-arba, or Hebron, in the land of Canaan. Abraham comes to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. The Bible does not rush him past grief. The man who has received promises about descendants still has to bury the woman he loves.
Abraham rises from beside his dead and speaks to the Hittites. He says that he is a stranger and a sojourner among them and asks for a burial place. They offer him the choice of their tombs and call him a respected prince. Abraham bows and asks Ephron son of Zohar to sell him the cave of Machpelah at the end of his field.
Ephron offers the field and cave as a gift in the presence of the people at the gate, but Abraham insists on paying the full price. Ephron names four hundred shekels of silver, and Abraham weighs out the amount in the hearing of the witnesses. The field, cave, trees, and boundaries are legally transferred to Abraham.
Abraham buries Sarah in the cave in the land of Canaan. The purchase is recorded carefully because this is the first piece of the promised land Abraham actually owns. He does not possess the whole country, but he has a real place to honor Sarah and to anchor the family's hope.
Grief and promise are not opposites here. Abraham cries, negotiates honestly, pays what is owed, and buries his wife while still trusting God's future.
Abraham's purchase is small compared with the land promised to his descendants, but it is not imaginary. He has a real place where Sarah's body can be honored and where the family can remember that promise while living as strangers. Trust often looks like grieving faithfully inside a future we cannot yet possess.
Questions
1 How did Abraham respond to Sarah’s death?
AnswerHe mourned and wept for her.
2 What did Abraham ask the Hittites for?
AnswerHe asked for a burial place among them.
3 Which place did Abraham purchase?
AnswerHe purchased the field and cave of Machpelah from Ephron.
4 Where was Sarah buried?
AnswerSarah was buried in the cave in the land of Canaan.
What This Means for Us
Grief deserves time, tears, and practical care. A promise from God does not make loss painless or require us to act cheerful at a funeral. Honor the dead, handle necessary arrangements truthfully, and let mourning coexist with hope. Love is not less faithful because it hurts.
Prayer
God who sees our grief, stay near families who bury someone they love. Give us permission to mourn honestly and wisdom for the practical decisions that follow. Help us honor the dead with dignity and trust that sorrow and hope can live in the same heart. Amen.